Wilson died of a heart attack on February 26, 2014. Early reports stated that he died in Nashville, Tennessee; however, his longtime friend and manager Chris Dipetta clarified that he had been traveling, but had made it to his hometown of Columbus, Georgia, before he died.[9] More details from the referenced story state: "Wilson, 52, drove to Columbus from a gig in Michigan to visit his brother en route to a weekend show in Birmingham, Ala. when he started feeling ill, said Dipetta, who worked with Wilson for 30 years. Dipetta continued, "I talked to him yesterday afternoon and he said he felt bad, was short of breath, and I said, "get to the hospital now!" Wilson's brother rushed him to a nearby hospital and Wilson suffered a massive heart attack and died at 9:15 p.m." Wilson left behind his wife and two children.[10][11]